tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573382596442861899.post7718867476646882276..comments2023-11-02T01:55:28.254-07:00Comments on A Canuck Amuck: The Dinner PartyGlennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17766968264733510251noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573382596442861899.post-21587681059351958412008-09-24T12:55:00.000-07:002008-09-24T12:55:00.000-07:00That was hilarious!I remember being asked to lunch...That was hilarious!<BR/><BR/>I remember being asked to lunch by my friend in University and I showed up with no money because I thought she was going to pay. I wasnt a cheapa$$, I just assumed - if I am invited for lunch by you, they it's on you - this is the way it worked in Nigeria.<BR/><BR/>I also remember my first BYOB party in at University years ago - I could not reconcile being a guest with being a host at the same time. In my opinion (back then) these were distinct roles.<BR/><BR/>I kept thinking: why am I going to a party with my own beer? Why not 1) drink at home OR 2) go to a bar and pay for the beer <BR/><BR/>I understand it now but I still need to explain this concept to visiting family and frankly sometimes, I am backed into a corner and find it's a hard sell. <BR/><BR/>One thing is for sure, potlucks make partying way cheaper and you get to try different types of food (and experience different types of food poisoning)<BR/><BR/>Perhaps the Nigerian teachers thought they were partying with ex-pats that make load$$ of money. You dont see folks arriving at Ted Rogers party with LCBO bags or a 6pack ;)<BR/><BR/>I am joking, I think your next potluck with be a success now that everyone knows how it works.<BR/><BR/>Great blog/stories.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573382596442861899.post-23223524550128979972008-07-03T14:11:00.000-07:002008-07-03T14:11:00.000-07:00Glenn, glenn, glenn....this was one friggin' hilar...Glenn, glenn, glenn....<BR/><BR/>this was one friggin' hilarious piece of work I've read in the scores of blogs in my lifetime... well written! I could not stop laughing ;-)<BR/>No NEW friendships made, but old ones strengthened. Love you all VSOers for it.<BR/>The other "guests" snubbed me at work ever since.. I think it's because I told Marufat that it was rude for them to say they promise to bring food, then don't.<BR/>Phooey.<BR/>See you soon!!!!Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13607568288866010215noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573382596442861899.post-121699780214502292008-06-21T00:58:00.000-07:002008-06-21T00:58:00.000-07:00Glenn - should have bought some KFC to feed all th...Glenn - should have bought some KFC to feed all those hungry people. Hope all is well - Dave TAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573382596442861899.post-62632768329774933822008-06-11T06:14:00.000-07:002008-06-11T06:14:00.000-07:00The joys of food culture. What can one say. Potlat...The joys of food culture. What can one say. Potlatch among Canada's West Coast First Nations is the exact opposite of what you describe: to an extreme the hosting nation will give away everything to accommodate the visitor, even if that means descending into abysmal poverty. Among the Mediterranean peoples of a by-gone era [and in some cases still practiced today], generosity to sojourners and strangers was considered the sine qua non of civility -- so different from the more suspicious cultures that have arisen after centuries of invasions. One reads in Homer's Odyssey stories of the give-and-take between openness and suspicion aimed at strangers who arrive on your doorstep. In some desert climes, where survival is about finding the oasis between expanses of heat and dust, there are many unwritten rules and requirements around the sacredness of the wadi/oasis. To poison the well is to create a disaster of mammoth proportions -- it is not just bad manners; it is a lethal blow at the sojourner. <BR/>There's a great food story Genesis in the "Old Testament" [Torah to Jews and incorporated into the Koran] about Abraham. His nephew Lot had been kidnapped by a rival tribe [along with his sheep -- which were probably more important than shepherd], so old Abe and his fellow tribesmen went on a rampage, rescured the shepherd [and the sheep] and slaughtered the rival tribe [to a person]. Now filled with bloodlust, this tribe of semi nomads was making its way back to their own territory and happened to be passing by the city [one of the few at the time] called Salem [the future site of Jerusalem]. Realizing they were on the path of distruction from this group a yahoos fired up from battle, the King of Salem [Malkesidek by name (sorry for the bad spelling)] came out of the city [in the hope of keeping this group as far away from the women as possible] to greet his "neighbours" with the 'gifts of hospitality' -- bread and wine. And here is the tradition where bread and wine -- the communion of Christians, the symbols of Exodus freedom for Jews -- went from being offerings of hospitality to symbols of peace and celebrations of life [over against the potential for death, rape, murder and destruction]. <BR/>Sharing food is so symbolic -- it is more than just about sustenance; it's about communion, community, freedom, the journey of life, hospitality between oases that makes the difference between life and death. Whatever one's religious or social background, we can never forget that food is just as much about life's meaning as it is about life's nourishment. We need to feed the mind/heart/spirit as well as the body/stomach. <BR/>In retrospect, it would have been interesting to ask the group at the Pot Luck what they thought this was all about. Explaining the concept of potluck is one thing; discussing why one even bothers to come together as a group of strangers is quite something else. What's the point? is it simply to be fed and to feed or is there more to being there in this place with these people at this point in time? <BR/>Was there a sense of reward among the local teachers? -- since they were doing a good job, now they were being invited to a feast as a reward for a job well done. If so, then why would they bring food to their own reward event?<BR/>Was there an abiding sense of being on the receiving end of charity and/or generosity? since this group of volunteers work for an NGO they must have sufficient sustenance to hand over to us who are the have-nots in this situation, so we will sit and wait til we are served our due as those in need....<BR/>or was it simply the case that as a guest you are 100% a guest and expect to act accordingly? since to do otherwise, such as to provide food, is to change the roles in ways that might be insulting to the host... on the one hand, to bring food is to usurp the perogatives of the host and that is unacceptable....or even worse, to bring food is to send a message to the host that they are not good cooks or are bad providers, hence the need for me to feed myself in your house..... <BR/>The subtle side of food sharing is almost untapped in meaning....all I know is that in certain cultures you have to be careful about what you bring to the table or the evening...and I don't mean only in emerging economies.<BR/>Finally, as something dear to my heart and my family heritage as an Italian, let's never forget that food, whether eaten alone or shared with others, is an event that calls for celebration...the King of Salem shared wine to gladden the heart and dull the sword, and bread to fill the stomach and stop the grumbling, and in the end he created an abiding symbol of life and life giving celebration.<BR/>Keep on celebrating, no matter how meager or how abundant. As my dearly departed 87 year old Dad used to say, waking up every morning was a miracle all by itself; having coffee with his best friend and wife of 67 years made it all the richer.<BR/>Have fun....victorAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8573382596442861899.post-88184449790773181702008-06-11T05:14:00.000-07:002008-06-11T05:14:00.000-07:00Maven and Muse that weren't! It's true that someti...Maven and Muse that weren't! It's true that sometimes things have to go that far along before you realize that you're not really "on the same page" about something communicated previously. I had a similar, less pleasantly ending, experience in Kenya.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com